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Trash to Treasure --- Suitcases

Today's trash to treasure is about vintage suitcases.   It is interesting to me to see all these ways to repurpose an old suitcase.

You can find a tutorial here on how to make this pet bed from a suitcase.   It includes directions on securing the lid.  You wouldn't want it falling on your pet!
Kirsten's Suitcase Pet Bed

Add legs to a suitcase to make a side table.

Here is a tutorial showing how to do this on Good Housekeeping.


Here is a beautiful cottagy side table  with the suitcase sitting on a table made by Songbird

Here are some pictures of other uses to give you some inspiration.

Paint them.

Suitcase Chair

Storage for Craft Supplies

Stack them and use them for storage.

Thanks for visiting today.
Bette Shaw
www.byyourhands.com

Would you like to sponsor a giveaway? Would you like to be a featured artist?  Are you interested in promoting your store or blog at a very reasonable cost?   If so, just email me. I would be happy to send you the details.
                                          byyourhandsblog@gmail.com

Today's Featured Artist - Primgals Primitive Palette

    Today's Featured Artist is Jody Seilheimer of Primgals Primitive Palette

I live in a sleepy little town called Sandwich, Illinois with my husband of 19 years. We married in 1991 and have a wonderful blended family. I have always had a love of the arts...painting, music, etc since early childhood. Everywhere I went I had a coloring book and crayons, then at the age of 8 my mother took me to my first ceramics class. I have had a brush in my hand ever since. I also love to cross stitch, knit, and make candles when time allows, but my first love has always been primitive and folk art painting.

I have been in business now for 19 years.I started online in 2002, first as Simply Primitive, and then as Primgals Primitive Palette a short time later. Prior to that I did craft shows, supplied my local customers here at home, and also had booths in several craft shops.

I started out at my kitchen table with a handful of paints, and a wood washboard my husband made. I thought it need a little something, and that was the beginning. I then needed an outlet for my painted items, so I started selling at craft shows in 1992. My husband and I did shows on the weekends for several years until I discovered the Internet. I started my online business in 2002 on Ebay and then joined Etsy in 2008.

My work involves most of all planning. Finding the right design for the right surface. I enjoy painting on wood, but also love to paint on vintage pieces I come across at yard sales, estate sales etc. Prepping your surfaces is vital to turning out a quality piece, so I devote allot of time to that. Depending on the piece, it can take an hour or three days to bring it to the finished product.

My favorite is painting wood door crowns. They are hand cut, making my product truly handmade from start to finish. The design possibilities are endless, and they allow me such a creative outlet in choosing how they will turn out. I use many pattern designers such as Terrye French, Donna Atkins, and John Sliney, but all of my work has my personal interpretation of the design, so they are always a challenge, and so much fun to do.

My typical day in the studio is at least 8 hours, and sometimes more, depending on the orders that need to be filled. My day starts with answering emails, and doing promotional work in the mornings, and then I use the rest of the day for painting, packing orders, etc.I usually set the brushes aside in the evenings, and spend that time with my family and friends.

At this time my goal is to concentrate on my shop on Etsy, and to continue to supply my primitive gift shops with products. I have considered having my own website, and hope to get that accomplished in the next year or so.

Handcrafting is to me "Art from the Heart" that cannot be mass produced. Weather you paint, sew, cross stitch, or make soap and candles, a little of your heart goes into each piece. Etsy is a wonderful outlet for handmade, and I support their efforts for keeping the love of handmade available. I try to do my part in supporting handmade on my blog found at http://primgalsprimitivepalette.blogspot.com/


I can be found on Etsy at www.primgal.etsy.com
I also have a shop on Artfire at www.primgal.artfire.com

Handmade Spotlight - Handmade Soap on Etsy

Check out all these gorgeous soaps I found on etsy. I think I could have made an endless treasury of them if I'd had more time.

You can get a closer look at them by CLICKING HERE

Thanks for visiting!
Deena Davis
www.byyourhands.com

Tuesday Tutorial - Introduction to Rag Quilting

I am going to make a bed size rag quilt and I thought it would be fun to make it a sew along with me series.   You can determine what size quilt you want to make.    It will soon be fall again and wrapping yourself up in a cozy lap quilt is wonderful on a cool fall evening.    They also make wonderful gifts and now is the time to get started for christmas gifting.

Are you an experienced rag quilter? Or would you like to learn to make a rag quilt?    Rag quilting is fast, easy and a great introduction into quilting.

I don't know who came up with this form of quilting but I was one of the first to jump on the bandwagon, quite a few years ago now. Some of my earliest pattern designs were for rag quilting.

Rag quilting isn't only for quilts though. It lends itself to all kinds of designs.
Purses and totes, mantle covers, book covers, stockings, treeskirts, valances, rugs,  just to name a few.

Rag quilting is pretty much like regular quilting only you sew your seams on the outside of the project and clip those seams into fringe that will curl up and soften with successive washings.
 It is very forgiving for the novice sewer as your seams don't show so no worrying if your seam isn't exactly straight.    It is mostly done with straight stitching so you don't have to be an experienced seamstress to try this.

Here are some of the essential supplies you will need to get started.

Lots of fabric scraps in light and dark values

A backing fabric ---Flannel is a great choice for a bed quilt.   Recycled Jeans are wonderful for rag quilts.  But any type of cotton fabric will work.     The amount of yardage you will need depends on the size quilt you want to make.   A lap quilt will take approx.  2 1/2 yards.

Batting----Warm N Natural Cotton batting,   again amount needed will depend on the size of your quilt.   Approx. 2 yards for a lap quilt.
        I am using a new batting for my quilt called Warm & Safe.   It is almost identical to the cottom batting but it is made from bamboo and is naturally fire retardant.
       Flannel also makes a wonderful batting fabric. 

Scissors ----I do a lot of rag quilting so I have a pair of rag quilting scissors.   Regular scissors will do but if you do a lot of rag quilting the special scissors will ease the strain of clipping seams.

Thread ---   Matching thread or for scrap quilting I use a neutral color like beige or gray

So that's it for this time.   Next time I will have the pattern pieces for you and the first lesson in making a rag quilted block.    I hope you will enjoy sewing along with me.

Thanks for visiting today.
Bette Shaw
www.byyourhands.com